ML608383062

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Found at 3:08pm, lounging on the beach with about 800 mixed spp of gull. Quite tired at first, generally standing or sitting with head tucked but not moving as much as the others (Heermann's, California, Western). Large black-headed gull with dark eye and rose-colored orbital ring against jet black face, long thin decurved bill, and two tufts of white feathers at base of upper mandible. Nape has gentle fade from ink-black to gray. Gray mantle with narrow band of white feather tips. At rest it is about the size of a California Gull (not small), but in flight, the long extended primaries show - it looks like a giant with sleek powerful wings and a Sabine's-like pattern of gray and white. But it really unlike any other gull I've ever seen. Gull perked up considerably in the three hours I watched it - and wasn't afraid to aggressively defend itself from the larger Western Gull. I got the word out quickly and I think about 120 birders had seen it by the time I left at 6:15. According to others it predictably flew out to sea at dusk. Who knows whether it will return to this day roost or not tomorrow.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS R5

Lens

EF500mm f/4L IS II USM

ISO

640

Focal length

500 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/1000 sec

Dimensions

3150 pixels x 2100 pixels

Original file size

2.74 MB